What are broader impacts?

Along with the review of the intellectual merit of each proposal, the National Science Foundation (NSF) reviews the merit of its broader impacts – the impacts and benefits to society of your proposed research. Each proposal submitted to the NSF must include a section about its intended broader impacts.

Consideration of broader impacts, however, is not limited to NSF proposals. Broader impacts (BI) may be framed in terms of outreach, community-engaged scholarship, translation, dissemination, public humanities, community-based participatory research, community-based teaching and learning, diversity/inclusion/equity, and so forth.

What qualifies as broader impacts?

Broader impacts goals may address, but are not limited to:

Full participation of women, persons with disabilities, and underrepresented minorities in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM)

Improved STEM education and educator development at any level

Increased public scientific literacy and public engagement with science and technology